Monday, June 13, 2011

I've been spending the last hour reading part of the recent investigation into the OSPCA, and I am more than angry with so many of the findings. I urge all of you to read this entire section of the report. You too will be absolutely horrified, in that there seems to be no regard for any prevention of cruelty to animals (or people for that matter!). The report is 20 pages, and very revealing. Meanwhile, if you don't have the time, here are some key points made in the investigation :

"Currently, it is possible for animals to come into a shelter, receive medical assessments, basic medical care, be vaccinated, deemed acceptable for adoption from a medical and behavioural standpoint, or be euthanized because of medical concerns without any involvement of a veterinarian (or veterinary technician)." -

"There does not appear to be a defined skill set for most administrative (or other) positions" - Basically, you don't even need to have any history with animals to hold a major position within the organization.

Volunteers are able to assist at the shelters without any training.

"Very few shelters have veterinarians who are present in the shelter on a regular basis." Who is performing vaccinations, euthanizations, or other medical procedures? This is unforgivable!

"There is no formal independent infection control program for the OSPCA." I guess that made the decision to kill over 100 animals last year all the easier.

"Currently, there is no requirement that animals be vaccinated against rabies prior to adoption."

There are no sinks in any of the stray animal rooms.With regard to documents : "Interpretation of many of them was difficult because of a lack of clear communication of what they were, the target audience, when they were created, and whether they were current versions. Clear descriptions and dates were often lacking. Multiple different documents contained information for overlapping areas, and often, contradictory information was present."

With regard to documents on the "ringworm virus" of last year : "Some communications have blatant and careless errors."

It is recommended that thermometers be inserted three inches into a dog's rectum.

Above is just a sampling of the way animal "welfare" is carried out by the board and upper management at the OSPCA. Since this is an opinion piece, I'll give mine : "PLEASE PLEASE STOP!!! It is time for the board and upper management of the OSPCA to finally show some dignity and compassion and step down. As the report demonstrates, animals are being HURT RIGHT NOW by those who hold power. Please do the right thing. While animals are far more compassionate beings than us and may be willing to forget, Ontarians will never forgive you for the pain you have caused them."